First-Aid Kit

Whether it’s a 3-mile hike in a local park or a week-long high-adventure trip, a first-aid kit should always be on your packing list.

It’s inevitable. At some point, the unexpected will happen when…well…we least expect it. With any activity, you can prepare as much as possible, but it’s impossible for things to go as planned 100% of the time. For some things, it doesn’t matter. Maybe you took one part of a trail when you really wanted to go on another route. Maybe you didn’t see the wildlife you were hoping to see. For these situations, we simply adjust and move on. When it comes to safety and first-aid, however, that’s not something that will always just take care of itself. This is definitely one of those areas where our Scouts need to BE PREPARED.

When some people think of a first-aid kit, they immediately think of something bulky and complex. That doesn’t have to be the case. In fact, for most situations it SHOULDN’T be like that. A simple and compact first-aid case may not give you what you need to handle every situation, but it allows you to handle most situations while also not being difficult to take with you whoever you go. Even if there’s a “big” situation that requires additional help, a basic first-aid kit can at least assist until additional help arrives.

When To Bring A First-Aid Kit

By definition, the first-aid kit is designed to assist with unexpected situations. Unexpected means “not planned”. Since the Scouts don’t know when the next “unexpected” situation will occur, they should be ready at all times. That’s why a first-aid kit is a great thing to bring along on any event, big or small.

Our Scouts are encouraged to bring a personal first-aid kit on all of our outings. As stated above, this doesn’t have to be anything big. Stick with the basics, and pack it in a way that is both handy to use and easy to transport.

Additionally, our troop has additional first-aid equipment that we bring with us to supplement the items brought by our Scouts. By packing it in our trailer, which we bring to nearly every event, we are able to bring along more items than an individual would be expected to carry. We also include the basics to cover those situations when the Scouts “forgot” to bring their own kit.

The Basic First-Aid Kit

The following list was taken from the Boy Scout Handbook. Our Scouts should use this as a starting point when packing their own peroneal first-aid kit for our events and outings.

For best results (and convenience), Scouts should place these items in a resealable bag or similar container. This makes it easy to carry, and keeps the items safe and dry.

When packing a personal first-aid kit, consider the following:

  • 6 latex-free adhesive bandages in assorted sizes
  • 2 sterile, 3×3 inch gauze pads
  • A small roll of latex-free adhesive tape
  • A 3×6 inch piece of moleskin
  • A small bar of soap or small bottle of alcohol-based hand-sanitizing gel
  • A small tube of triple antibiotic ointment
  • A small tube of hydrocortisone cream
  • Scissors
  • Tweezers
  • Disposable latex-free gloves
  • Pencil and paper or a small notebook

Other Resources

One resources that some Scouts may want to consider is the America red Cross’s free First Aid App for smartphones. It’s just another thing that can help when the unexpected happens.